Hair’s a good idea.
As the federal government and BP bungle the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, two Williamsburg salons — one for humans, one for dogs — has come forward with a plan that’s just crazy enough to work: for the next month, all of their customers’ clip hair will be scooped up and sent to Louisiana to help to soak up the bubbling crude.
People looking to shave their domes can head to Woodley and Bunny on N. 10th Street at Driggs Avenue, where every Thursday this month, they can get a haircut for $10. Dog owners can take their canine to Dog Addiction on Berry Street between Grand and N. First streets, where discounts are available for grooming on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
“Hair is a natural absorbent — it naturally soaks up oil,” said Misha Anderson, the owner of Woodley and Bunny. “That’s why we shampoo — to get the oil out.”
Once the hair absorbs the oil, it can even be strained and reused.
So, with the help of a charity called “Matter of Trust,” which is conducting similar hair-drives around the country, the two stores will donate trimmings that will eventually be used in booms and mats to sop up the poisonous black muck washing up on southern shores.
Lisa Gautier, a spokeswoman with Matter of Trust, said the organization had lost track of how much hair it has received — but at last check, there was 450,000 pounds filling 19 warehouses.
But that doesn’t include any hipster hair — yet.
Priti Punjabi of Dog Addiction said that she was glad to contribute to the relief effort against the oil disaster, which has left many Americans full of impotent rage.
“We’re so far away from the gulf, you feel like, ‘What can I do to help?’” said Punjabi. “It seems like such an awful thing that we can’t do anything to stop it. But donating hair — it’s such an easy thing for us to do.”
Donate hair at Woodley and Bunny [196 N. 10th Street at Driggs Avenue in Williamsburg, (718) 218-6588] on Thursdays in June. $10 per shave. Donate your dog hair at Dog Addiction [243 Berry Street between N. First and Grand streets in Williamsburg, (718) 599-1656) on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Price depends on the pooch, but there is a $20 discount.
